Define Power Feeding

OK, I've read differing definitions of what power feeding is, and I'd like to know what the experts here define as power feeding. I've read it's with-holding food for two weeks so that they'll eat more when they do feed (but that doesn't sound right to me), I've read it's feeding more frequently than once a week (although I know juvies are recommended every 5-7 days if they'll take it) and I've read that it's starting another feeder in their mouth as they are finishing the first.

I do NOT want to power feed, so I'd like to know what the definition of it is, and make sure that I'm taking the best care of Kash that I can!

ive read (but im not sure) that it is just feeding them more then they should be fed or feeding them to big of a meal.

I would define it as "routinely giving a snake more food than is necessarily appropriate based on the animal's present weight, age, condition & species." For example - if I fed one of my adult bloods the same body weight:prey size ratio that I feed a subadult retic, I'd have some disgusting, fat, flat-tire looking bloods in no time. It's different for every snake, down to species & individual.

Snakes shouldn't be obese, regardless of species. It is up to each keeper to gain the experience that will allow them to judge the difference between a healthy & obese snake at various points in life. Snakes should not feel SQUISHY!!!

Fat snakes are one of my big soapboxes...I'll step off it for now. ;)


K~

Just another term for over feeding. Lets say, you generally feed your snake 2 -3 mice a week, over feeding would mean you are feeding double that amount. Just a term people use when they think power feeding is the way to go to get a female fatter faster. In reality, it is actually bad for them, in terms of both health and breeding condition.

Yeah, I knew that it was NOT good for their health, which is why I asked the question. I don't want to do that with Kashmire. He just seems like he's "bursting" at the seams right now, and I've read if their scales are stretching, then they may have had too much. However, he's eating about 1 a week or every 5 day (mouse that is). And he's approximately 3-4 months old, 18 inches and 146 grams (as of today).

The mice are the same girth as he is. He is thermo regulating and moving from hide to hide, so I would think that he's getting proper belly heat to digest.

Just wondering if I should hold off on feeing him again this Saturday or not (he last fed Sunday during the day).

I was once told it was purposefully withholding food then overfeeding a very hungry snake to "artifically" bring on growth spurts....who knows if this the what it is or not???

Adam once told me that my ball pythons should feel athletic...not squishy and fat (like Kara describes in her post).


~~Jo~~

I say power feeding is alittle of joke. I say if you can give you snake another meal if you can "tell" its wants another .

It's not so much about the "feeding" as it is about the health of your snake. Ball pythons (especially breeders) should be healthy in appearance ... big huge fatties may look impressive, but they make horrible breeders.

-adam

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

big huge fatties may look impressive......
-adam

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Its quite the oppisite for me. Big fatty snakes look like ,well big fat snakes. :puke:

Well, he has quite a grip on him now, tighter than he ever has. I was just worried that his scales seemed stretched. I'm feeding him once a week, appropriately sized mice. He did not feel "squishy", actually more quite muscular. Am I being OCD again?

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Am I being OCD again?

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Most definitely. ;)

-adam

what OCD? I really need to learn some new terms for snake chatting

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Well, he has quite a grip on him now, tighter than he ever has. I was just worried that his scales seemed stretched. I'm feeding him once a week, appropriately sized mice. He did not feel "squishy", actually more quite muscular. Am I being OCD again?

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Streched scales is ok if it just had a meal. But if it seems stretched over a long period then its probably an indicator that it is overweight. As a general rule, i was told, the snake's neck should be smaller/thinner than its jaw. If you cant see the jaw, the its probably overweight.

Hey Robin you're no worse than a bunch of us around here (is Punkin too thin? is Baby too fat? who pooped when? who didn't poop? whose temps went wonky? never bloody ends! LOL)

I saw we need a support group!

Hi, I'm Joanna....I haven't looked at a breeder's site or kingsnake in 20 minutes...

:P

OCD is obsessive compulsive disorder which you get free with every purchase of a ball python ;)

~~Jo~~

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Originally Posted by kraniumz

Streched scales is ok if it just had a meal. But if it seems stretched over a long period then its probably an indicator that it is overweight. As a general rule, i was told, the snake's neck should be smaller/thinner than its jaw. If you cant see the jaw, the its probably overweight.

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OK, he had a meal Sunday night, and his neck is smaller/thinner than its jaw. Guess the mouse just hasn't had time to properly digest yet. I thought about taking a picture of him now in the deli cup he came in (if he'll sit still long enough) compared to the picture I took of him when I first got him in his deli cup.

Adam, although he's not one of your offspring, you're his honorary "daddy" for guiding me through his health "crisis" (at least it was to me! LOL) when I first got him and I think you'd be proud of how much better he looks (as far as the weight he's put on). I look back at his "baby" pictures and think "gosh that's a THIN snake", and he really was compared to some pictures I've seen of some of your plump just hatched babies.

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Most definitely. ;)

-adam

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Thanks Adam! :D

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

Hey Robin you're no worse than a bunch of us around here (is Punkin too thin? is Baby too fat? who pooped when? who didn't poop? whose temps went wonky? never bloody ends! LOL)

I saw we need a support group!

Hi, I'm Joanna....I haven't looked at a breeder's site or kingsnake in 20 minutes...

:P

OCD is obsessive compulsive disorder which you get free with every purchase of a ball python ;)

~~Jo~~

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You and I can be the founders, k? LOL

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Originally Posted by KLG

I would define it as "routinely giving a snake more food than is necessarily appropriate based on the animal's present weight, age, condition & species." For example - if I fed one of my adult bloods the same body weight:prey size ratio that I feed a subadult retic, I'd have some disgusting, fat, flat-tire looking bloods in no time. It's different for every snake, down to species & individual.

Snakes shouldn't be obese, regardless of species. It is up to each keeper to gain the experience that will allow them to judge the difference between a healthy & obese snake at various points in life. Snakes should not feel SQUISHY!!!

Fat snakes are one of my big soapboxes...I'll step off it for now. ;)


K~

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Kara,

Thank you for your input. I don't really like fat snakes either, I like a healthy snake. Heck, I'm working on my own weight issues, don't need Kashmire being fat too! LOL

I've been meaning to tell you, your Blood in your avatar is STUNNING! (It is a Blood, right? I don't know much about other species except balls, and I'm still a novice at those! hehehe)

when I think of powerfeeding, I think of someone who's trying to impress their friends by feeding their snake a bunch of mice or rats in one sitting. Of course the snake will probably eat them all, but it's not right. We should know by now how much feeding is healthy, and we have a responsibility to "think for our snake" and not overfeed. People don't normally overfeed their kids or other epts suchas dogs, and snakes should be no exception!

from what i have read about snakes and its only been a few days. Plus watching discovery channel is that snakes are oportunistic eaters so its actually better to feed sporatically to keep them sharp. i know i shouldnt feed live rodents but i belive that even though it can be dangerous to the snake i think it also keeps them sharp with there hunting skills.

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Originally Posted by anthony marshall

from what i have read about snakes and its only been a few days. Plus watching discovery channel is that snakes are oportunistic eaters so its actually better to feed sporatically to keep them sharp. i know i shouldnt feed live rodents but i belive that even though it can be dangerous to the snake i think it also keeps them sharp with there hunting skills.

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A couple of thoughts ...

1. You don't need to do anything to keep your snakes "sharp" 1 million years of evolution takes care of that for you.

2. It's definitely not better to sporadically feed for any reason.

3. There is nothing wrong with feeding live and when done properly, it is far from "dangerous".

-adam